Soon, carry digital versions of driving licence, registration in your cell phone

NEW DELHI: You may soon no longer need to carry a physical copy of your licence and vehicle registration certificate while driving. Instead, you can opt for a digital

NEW DELHI: You may soon no longer need to carry a physical copy of your licence and vehicle registration certificate while driving. Instead, you can opt for a digital driving licence and registration certificate stored in a digital locker that can be accessed on a mobile phone or laptop.

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The new scheme will be supported by DigiLocker, an initiative under the NDA government’s Digital India programme that provides a platform for online storage of documents and certificates.

The new scheme hopes to eliminate the use of physical documents and increase transparency and accountability as many people complain that they’re forced to bribe authorities because they’re not carrying the document, despite possessing valid papers.

“The system will not only eliminate corruption but is also a mega step towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India drive. Citizens can use this at airports as a valid identity document,” Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari said at the launch of the new initiative on Wednesday.

“If someone is stopped, he or she can show the driving licence on a mobile phone. This will benefit the common masses and ensure a corruption-free, transparent system devoid of red tape. Crores will benefit.”

But a possible hitch in the system is India’s notoriously poor internet services, which is necessary for digilocker to work. Web penetration in India is less than 20%, less than half of that of China, and prohibitively high data prices stop many users from accessing the internet.